Short Animated Film Concept: "Silent Stanley"

In the previous post, I mentioned my love for classic comedians of the 1920's/30's. This interest sparked an idea that I would combine with animation. The initial idea was to come up with a character that would harken back to the likes of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton. The idea of having a 'voiceless' character in a silent short, is something I think would work well in animation.
Of course this is most definitely not a unique idea. Animation and comedy characters go back to the early days of the medium, with characters from the Fleischer Brothers and Walt Disney to more well known slapstick stars, like Tom & Jerry and the cast of Looney Tunes. These cartoons, as they are better known, showcase some great over-exaggerated comedy routines, from the endless violence from Tom & Jerry, to the more tame- yet still hilarious antics of Mr. Bean (The Animated Series).
Like Mr. Bean, my idea was to have a solo character encounter or find himself in a series of predicaments, much like that of what silent comedy in the 1920's revolved around.

The early Fleischer Studios cartoons had such comic characters as 'Popeye', 'Betty Boop' and 'Koko the Clown'.

The hilariously violent cat and mouse teaming of "Tom & Jerry", showcases some comedy routines that the kids shows of today tones down on very much!

My answer was a character by the name of "Silent Stanley", a young, incredibly slim and wiry individual, dressed in 1920's working class American clothes that are too small for his frame. Already we have an individual who stands out from the crowd. The style is not anatomically correct, but not too exaggerated to make him look un-human. The first sketch of the character I drew, shown a rather confident individual who looked a bit like Max Linder. I liked the look, even in that early stage, but I think the limbs could have been longer and thinner to allow for more comic movements.

Initial drawings of the "Silent Stanley" character.

I found myself listening to a lot of comedic film soundtracks, most notably the work of Leroy Shield and his scores for the Hal Roach "Laurel & Hardy" and "Our Gang" comedies. These scores, particularly the music for the short "Perfect Day" (1929), are amongst my favourite pieces of music. Just like a lot of film and theatre, the score is a fundamental piece of the overall presentation. 'The Cuckoo Theme' (composed by Marvin Hatley), was not originally written in mind for L&H, but it has become synonymous with them and really compliments the two characters, with the two motifs (see this video for an audio clip of Hatley talking about his famous theme). The music is very much of the era also, with the traditional orchestral sound, producing upbeat and catchy accompaniment, to slow melancholy scores, providing what was happening onscreen. In the silent L&H shorts, sometimes instruments such as a slide whistle or washboard would be used to signify say a fall, or a kick up the backside, which the average audience member would find far funnier than the authentic sound that action would make. The sound/music technicians used the lack of sound to their advantage to create something even better for these earlier silent films.

One of my favourite videos showing '"The Beau Hunks" orchestra providing live accompaniment to a silent "L&H" short, with Leroy Shield's original arrangement.

Aardman's "Wallace & Gromit" also follows this pattern, with great orchestral backing for dynamic sequences, such as the Model Train chase at the climax of "The Wrong Trousers".

It would be a great idea to maybe source a public domain music piece of a similar style to these arrangements and work a story/routine around it. This is very similar to what Disney did with "Fantasia" (1940), using classical pieces from famous composers to provide a beat for the animated character/object to follow.

My initial idea was to use stop motion, which I haven't ruled out completely. Having more experience in puppet and set making would be a big plus, however the space and costing of materials is another factor to consider. I may make a 3D sculptural maquette of the character to get a feel of how he may look in that medium. Sometimes a flat drawing can look strange or distorted when converted to a 3D form. As for the animation itself, I think maybe acting the movements out in live action and then rotoscoping would be a good experiment to try out. Of course this wouldn't mean copying the movements exact, but exaggerating them to heighten the comedic values.

The next concept drawing involved a gag routine which was inspired by both L&H in the short, "Brats" (1930), and Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in "A Shot in the Dark" (1964), where both characters end up ripping the pool table with the wooden cue. A couple of days ago, I finished an animation test of this gag, using the original drawing and tracing it on Photoshop. I had about 20 layers, some for animation outline frames (e.g. one layer would be for an arm or face) and then I would have to animate the fill colour afterwards. As I have said before, I am fairly new to the 2D animation game, so my methods may not be the best option.

Another early gag sketch which formed the basis of my recent animated test (see below).

Screengrab of my animation arrangements in Photoshop (a bit cluttered!).

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Character turnaround which features a slightly different appearance. Not too keen of how he looks here, too stout.

Last night I finished a blue pencil sketch of the character, trying to lock down the final design. Today I traced the drawing in pencil and then scanned the tracing into Photoshop, where I digitised it and added colour. I think this is the strongest design yet, and the character definitely has a more comical characteristic about him, compared to the turnaround rendering.

Aged B&W version. The look I would like to replicate for the finished short.

So will this idea come to fruition? Only time will tell. I've been desperate to get a finished short film to my name, but working independently and in my spare time makes an individual realise how big the task actually is. I come up with these ideas because they are subjects that genuinely take my interest, so I would invest my time and money into them. Ideally studying Animation in University would be a big boost, both in confidence and support, with other people who can critique and offer suggestions on my ideas (and vice versa).

A pre-vis title card in the style of the silent Hal Roach comedies of the 1920's. The title is based on another gag idea I had involving a train.

In the meantime, any comments/critiques anyone has, please feel free to post below or on my Facebook page.

2-D Animation and Comedy - Thoughts

Having been brought up with stop-motion and the works of Harryhausen, Aardman and Laika, I can't say that this medium has been the sole source of inspiration in my creative endeavours. A couple of years back I saw a film that really blew my mind, using traditional hand drawn animation. The film in question was Sylvian Chomet's "The Illusionist" (2010). A film based on an unrealised script by the legendary French filmmaker/comedian, Jacques Tati. Tati's comedy is perfect for an animated film, and with very little dialogue, it manages to carry the viewer through purely on pantomime. Visually the film is beautiful, with nice uses of colour and line. The backdrops are gorgeous, using an almost watercolour painting approach to envisage 1950's Edinburgh, where most of the story is set. Must add the amazing soundtrack this film has also (it's on Spotify!).

Having being used to drawing from a very young age, using that skill to produce animation never really came across my mind until a few years ago, around the time I saw the film. Another great influence was meeting animator, Richard Williams at a celebration of his 80th birthday along with a Q&A at the Edinburgh Filmhouse in 2013 (I remember watching "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" the night before). The idea of breaking down the movement into a series of drawings fascinated me, and even made me question the complexity of everyday actions, such as a walk/run or a simple wave. That technical aspect of animation, never crossed my mind when I was practicing stop motion, as you have a physical model right there in front of you, it's just a matter of putting it into the correct poses for each frame.

Richard Williams taking one of his animation classes from his "The Animators Survival Kit" course.

Tati's comedy was another early inspiration for me. My Papa Bill shown me the film "Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot" (1953), which later formed the basis for Rowan Atkinson and "Mr. Bean's Holiday".  I think I've always favoured visual over spoken comedy, with the likes of Laurel and Hardy (loved the new film!), Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and "Mr. Bean". There's something about the art of a visual gag that appeals to me; the build-up, timing and punchline, and is something I think could work well in animation. Slapstick comedy is no stranger with animation either, with such characters as 'Tom and Jerry" and the stars of "Looney Tunes".

Buster Keaton - The stone face with great physical gag performances.

Recommended watch: Buster Keaton - The Art of the Gag (Video Essay)

Harold Lloyd - providing comedy through action and thrilling gags.

Laurel and Hardy provided not only visual, but spoken comedy. The idea of straight/funny man works at it's finest with these two and their comedy is universally loved by many generations. The music by Leroy Shield is also a firm favourite of mine, and really compliments the action on-screen.

This idea of using comedy in animation appealed to me, and I developed a character which I called "Silent Stanley" (the alliterative name inspired by an early Harold Lloyd character called 'Willie Work'). The character I envisaged to be brought to the screen through stop-motion, however upon researching animated gags, I found that 2-D hand-drawn may lend itself better to comic gags and over-exaggerated movements.

One of the first "Silent Stanley" gag sketches, inspired by Stan Laurel and Peter Sellers.

The "Silent Stanley" idea is still an early concept, but it's something I would like to flesh out more once more familiar with the medium. As someone who is new to this form of animation, it would take time to learn and develop my own technique. I must say Richard Williams' "The Animator's Survival Kit" and "The Illusion of Life - Disney Animation" are must have's (not just for 2-D work)!

As an avid user of Adobe Photoshop, I was surprised to find that you can animate within the program! All be it, very limited in its tools, but it does have Onion Skinning and the use of multiple layers. Below are tests I made, using the principles of 'Squash and Stretch' and two different walk cycles.

Disney's classic animated films were also a big part of my childhood, particularly "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" (1937), which terrified me! As much as their films showcase is some of the best character animation in film, it's the backgrounds and compositions that really appeal to me. Some great examples are, the forests in "Bambi" (1942) (utilising the amazing 'Multi-plane camera') and the 'Rite of Spring' and 'Night on Bald Mountain' segments from "Fantasia" (1940).  All of these create great atmosphere, with the latter two featuring very dynamic sequences that follow the classic music scores.

Opening shot from "Bambi" (1942) - shown in panorama view.

(Source: jedalexander.blogspot.com)

Chernabog in the 'Night on Bald Mountain' segment from "Fantasia" (1940) - I can't help but think that German Expressionism was a big influence on this sequence. I love the Chernabog character, very menacing and less of a cartoon-like figure.

'The Rite of Spring' sequence from "Fantasia" (1940). As a huge fan of dinosaurs, this sequence has it all for me! Exploding volcanoes and prehistoric monsters in combat. The animators also manage to generate sympathy for these animals, particularly in the Drought sequence.

Project #Harryhausen100: Animating and interviews...

First I'd like to start this post off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Over the Christmas/New Year period, I took a break from the animation/creative projects, but now with 2019 in full swing, I'm back into it. Yesterday I started off with some lighting tests on the miniature jungle set, using one desk lamp (only one I have at the moment), which seems to be good for night time lighting, but I think another one or two will really help. Right now the dino is in silhouette, as I have the lighting coming from behind the trees. If I move it anywhere else, the shadow of the foreground/midground objects is cast on the background painting, which obviously is something you want to avoid. I'm still learning about lighting and the different types you can use, but right now these lamps seem to be doing the trick. The lense I am using is a standard 18-55mm kit lense, fitted to my Canon 700D DSLR. This lense is great for this shot, as it has a wide angle and gets a lot of the scene within frame. Again I am not the biggest expert on buying lenses and I ay have to look into other types for close-up shots.

First lighting test photo from Dec, 2018.

B&W '1933 style' photo test from Nov, 2018.

Below are two photos taken during the first animation test, from 9th Dec, 2018. I'm really happy how these turned out and the sense of depth in the miniature set. I'm not an electrician, but I've had a bit of problems with the power in the garage. I can't have too many things running at once, power wise, so the main lights/heater have to be turned off whilst animating. I have a laptop (run from the mains) running Dragonframe stop motion software, which is hooked up to my DSLR (also hooked up the mains, so I never lose battery power) and finally the one desk lamp. Hopefully I can get away with running one or two more lamps!

Closer look at the setup, with the DSLR on the left of the photo (Dec, 2018).

Another angle (Dec, 2018).

Positioning the dinosaur puppet during the animation process (Dec, 2018).

And finally, here are the finished tests with the model within the set. From these tests, I have come to the conclusion that the dinosaur puppet may need to be rebuilt. The legs are not holding up to animating walk cycles and are becoming lose at the hips and ankles. It may be an idea to go with a ball and socket frame, which would solve the problem, however costing is very high on bespoke armatures. The warm and positive feedback I have got on social media (as of now, 4 likes away from 500 on my Facebook page) and YouTube, regarding these tests is very motivating and I'd like to thank everyone for the continued support!

Stop motion tests from Dec 2018-Jan 2019.

I would also like to thank Scottish Films & Filmmaking News, who kindly asked me to feature on their website. It was a great opportunity to answer questions on my background, interests and career plans (and also saves me writing about it on here). If you would like to read the interview, here is a link to the page.

Interview with Scottish Films & Filmmaking News

Until then, stay tuned!

Project #Harryhausen100: Making Dinosaurs!

So earlier in the year, I decided to make my first serious stop motion puppet and the thought of doing a classic style T-Rex really excited me. So I started with some concept drawings on A4 paper, detailing how the armature would fit within the physique of the creature. Due to my budget, I use aluminium wire for my stop motion armatures, which is good, but these are prone to breaking over a long period of use. My first attempt was all build up (including the head) and the results were not satisfying enough, plus the armature was weak in design and the arms were too short.

I decided to scrap it and start again, this time using wooden dowelling to act as solid 'bones' or grab points. I was still going to utilise the 'build-up' technique (the same technique Marcel Delgado used on "King Kong"), which involves making a puppet without the use of an existing sculpture to cast from, and has the foam built directly over the armature. You can get great results with build-up models (eg. Jim Danforth's 'Mother Dino' from "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth"), however if you are wanting a model that can be easily duplicated or if multiple identical characters are required, then a silicone/latex cast puppet would be better suited.

The T-Rex armature Mk. 2. I used Milliput epoxy putty for the leg bones.

Foot armatures (photo taken later on).

This was then covered in upholstery foam to block out the anatomy of the dino, and glued with spray adhesive. I also made a wooden skull with an articulated jaw (wire). The feet were also wood and wire, with a tie down nut inserted into the base. 

I sculpted the head and some skin textures in Monster Clay (a fantastic product for sculpting!) and made plaster moulds of these (Crystacal), the head being a two-part mould. The previous model I attempted had an entirely built up head over a wooden skull, and although it looked good, I knew I could get better and more detailed results with a carefully sculpted and cast head.

Original Monster Clay sculpture. 

Two-part plaster head mould.

I then made tinted latex castings from these moulds and the results were pretty darn good! Latex is a great cheap material, but does have a shorter life expectancy than silicone rubber. A lot of latex/foam latex models (a thicker consistency of latex that fills the entire mould and surrounds the armature), tend to deteriorate after a while. Sadly a good number of Ray Harryhausen's iconic creations have rotted away over the years, but restoration work has been carried out to save them. 

Once the armature had been padded out with foam, and shaped with scissors and foam bandage wrap, I then started layering the latex skin, which was then dry brushed with a highlight colour. To hide seam lines, I used drops of tinted latex to create wrinkles and other skin textures. The claws on the fingers and toes were sculpted with Milliput and sharpened with a Dremel tool. I also used toothpicks to make teeth and these were glued in with superglue. 

Tinted latex head casting.

Foam padding.

I do hope to use this critter in my short film, though I think a replacement may be in order with some armature adjustments, such as the placement of the tie-down nut, which should really be near the middle of the foot, to allow for a smooth foot lift/landing in animation.

Next I shall cover the second stop motion 'star' I have been making!

Project: #Harryhausen100 - Making sets!

I started making the miniature jungle/forest by making some trees using chicken wire to create the form. I then clad the wire with 'Modroc', a plaster bandage that sets when soaked in water. I made two of these, one more prehistoric in appearance. Details like vines/creepers were made with wire and hot glue (thanks to animator, Norman Yeend for the suggestion of hot glue). I also used the glue to texture the tree and glued miniature scenics/lichen to chicken wire frames to create the tree foliage. The trees themselves were painted with acrylics. At the base, I glued a plywood disc with a nut embedded in it, which would enable me to tie the tree down to the animation table. This means that I can reposition the trees if needed. The ground was made using Crystacal-R plaster mixed with model railway ballast, which was textured with my hand, and then painted.

Blocking everything out. The second tree wasn't used.

Tie-down tree (same principal as with an animation model).

I also made a miniature foreground, which was carved from urethane foam with a hot knife and then covered in Crystacal. Again, I used acrylic paint and dry brushed highlights on, as well as small details like moss, using model railway scenics.

Urethane foam/Crystacal rock foreground piece.

The 'jungle floor' made with Crystacal and model railway ballast.

Chicken wire frame with wire branches.

Cladding in plaster bandage (Modroc).

Painted and textured. More foliage is glued to the wire frames.

Another finished tree (the first one I made).

Painting the jungle floor with acrylics.

Idea of scale.

More miniature elements added. I decided later on, to remove some of these small 'shrubs' as they were too fragile.

With all of these elements, I could see a scene coming together, but something was still missing; a backdrop. I had two options, the first was to simply use a green screen and make a digital background using Photoshop and scanned drawings, however lighting the green screen as well as the set would mean a lot of lights. So I decided to try my hand at painting, something of which I hadn't done since Advanced Higher Art & Design in high school! My first attempt was on A3 sketchbook paper mounted on plywood, which turned out to be too small. This was good practice though, and gave me an idea of what to fix for next time (I also watched Bob Ross!)

Unused painted backdrop on A3 sketchbook paper.

The style of the background painting was very much inspired by "King Kong", as previously mentioned, but I also looked at Disney's work from the 30's and 40's (particularly "Bambi").

The new and improved painting, which was done directly on plywood (primed first).

Unbeknownst at the time of painting, the colours were quite reminiscent of the sets done for the unrealised Merian C. Cooper (of 'Kong' fame) epic, "War Eagles" from around 1939/40. This film was to have surpassed the 1933 film technically and visually, introducing lush Technicolor! It's a shame that there were no stop motion fantasy films in colour from around that time, sure 'Kong' was colourised later on (horribly!), but I feel that had "War Eagles" been made, it would have been a masterpiece.

Here are some very rare framegrabs from lost "War Eagles" test footage. The miniature setups are very similar to that of "Kong" (the same effects artists were on board) and the vibrant and lush colour palette is something I look for in my set.

Source: "War Eagles" by David Conover and Philip J Riley (highly recommended!)

I also added a wooden foreground frame (made from pine), which would hold the foreground rocks in place, as well as enable me to clamp lighting or add any foreground elements in to complete the shot.

 Wooden frame in place (special thanks to my dad for helping out there!)

The backdrop in place, a much better fit.

So with near enough all elements in place, I decided to try a few lighting tests...